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Mark Zuckerberg group draws fire over ads

The subsidiaries — the Republican-led Americans for a Conservative Direction and the Democratic-led Council for American Job Growth — released the ads last week.

One ad by Americans for a Conservative Direction for Sen. Lindsey Graham shows the South Carolina Republican saying, “The president says I’m for ‘all of the above’ when it comes to energy. Well, those are words coming out of his mouth. They don’t come from his heart. No Keystone pipeline. No drilling in the Gulf. At the end of the day, the economy is not doing well.”

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The ad also includes mentions of other issues that have become red meat for conservatives, including a clip of Graham bashing President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Another ad by the Council for American Job Growth touts Democratic Sen. Mark Begich’s record on energy issues. Begich, from Alaska, faces a tough reelection fight in 2014 and could be a key vote in favor of immigration reform.

“Alaskans say it with pride: ‘North to the future,’” the ad says. “Words Sen. Mark Begich never forgets. That’s why Begich is fighting for Alaska’s economic future by working to open ANWR to drilling and investing in the Alaskan natural gas pipeline.”

POLITICO reported last week that while FWD.us funds the subsidiaries, independent boards determine their political activities.

Americans for a Conservative Direction’s board includes former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Sally Bradshaw, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s chief of staff.

The Council for American Job Growth’s board includes former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart and former Rep. Scott Murphy (D-N.Y.).

FWD.us defended the groups’ campaigns as a means of reaching key population segments to help win support for candidates in the immigration debate.

“FWD.us is committed to showing support for elected officials who promote the policy changes needed to build the knowledge economy. Maintaining two separate entities, Americans for a Conservative Direction & the Council for American Job Growth, to support elected officials across the political spectrum — separately — means that we can more effectively communicate with targeted audiences of their constituents,” FWD.us spokeswoman Kate Hansen said in a statement.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 6:16 p.m. on April 29, 2013.